Category Archives: Technical Tips

You may have heard the phrase “Sun transit” before regarding a
twice-yearly natural phenomenon that may cause temporary signal loss.
But, what exactly is Sun transit?

Sun transit is also known as a “sun outage,” or “sun fade.” During
the Spring and Autumn each year, the Sun lines up with all satellites in
orbit, which can cause interference with services down here. This
happens due to a massive amount of thermally generated radio frequency
noise from the Sun. The interference can range from a bit of snow on
your screen to a complete loss of services. Some people might not even
notice any issue.

Sun transit impacts every satellite in orbit, so all satellite
service providers and even cable providers may experience issues while
this is happening. Because we currently have two satellites, the
estimated interference times are different for each satellite, so you
might lose signal on an English standard definition channel at a
different time than on a high definition or French channel.

Here are the estimated times for possible Sun transit interference on
both satellites across the country (all times are approximate and
local):

If you want estimated times more specific to where you live, Telesat offers a sun transit calculator
on their website. Just make sure you’ve selected Anik F1R and Anik F2
for your satellites, “Ku” for your frequency band, and 1 metre for the
antenna diameter so you get the most accurate results. It’s not exact as
our satellite dishes are smaller than a metre in diameter, but it will
give you a pretty good idea of when to expect interference.

So, what are some things that could help you during Sun transit?

If you are experiencing any loss of signal, wait until the estimated
time for interference is over before trying any resets or calling in
for troubleshooting.

Wait until after the estimated interference time for your area is
over prior to activating any new receivers, or adjusting your dish.

If you are a fan of Pay Per View movies, it might be a good idea to
order something that isn’t during the estimated interference time so
that you don’t miss part of your show.

If your service interruption continues after the estimated time (give
or take about 10 minutes), please contact us for assistance. On that
note, if you have any questions regarding Sun transit, or anything else,
feel free to leave us a comment!